Please welcome a very special guest to the Boyds Cafe. Priscilla and I "met" through the internet. We share our love of Boyds, but we also share something else - A certain Winnie the Pooh! I will devote another page just to Pooh's story in the future, but for now let me explain that this certain Pooh Bear has been making the rounds to other collectors who have been on the mend from illness or surgery. Pooh started at my house, as a gift to my husband John. My dear friend Linda sent it to him. Priscilla is the fourth person to get a visit from our traveling Pooh. I had lost track of him, until one day I read a post from Priscilla in which she mentioned Pooh! Priscilla has agreed to share her story of recovery with us. She also has a great Boyds Collection!
~Photos are at the bottom of the page.~

POOH’S GET-WELL MISSION
AT THE OWENS’ HOME

Crystal Boyd, a special new Boyd's friend, sent Get-Well Pooh to me after reading my post on the Forum about how glad I was to be back reading and enjoying the user’s comments. I mentioned I had been away from work and my Internet access due to recent surgery, a second craniotomy. My sweet husband ordered an Internet service for me at home during recovery, knowing how much I was missing getting my Boyd’s updates. Crystal, after reading my comments sent an e-mail asking if she could send the Pooh bear to visit with me during my recovery and a brief note about how he was sent to her during her recovery from a broken leg. She also included a brief history of his travels as he has moved from place to place helping many others like myself through difficult times.

"Get Well Pooh" has been treated very well and really loves all the attention he gets at the Owens home. Since arriving he has the distinction of being the one and only Pooh Bear among 75-80 others; mostly Boyd’s, and is quite holding his own. He’s been with me about six weeks now helping during recovery from my second craniotomy and six weeks of taking antibiotics intravenously at home. He has a prominent spot on the fireplace mantle in our den where he catches the eye and attention of any new visitor. He proudly listens as I share his story of how and why he came to be with us.

He arrived on just the exact day I needed a special uplift. We had just returned from a long downtown trip to the medical center to visit my doctors for follow-up visits. The postman had driven all the way down our drive to place the shipping box right in the center of my carport where we would see it as we drove up. My husband and I were both thrilled and surprised to see such caring and compassion from someone who did not know me except as an Internet friend. I have kept telling my husband how special Boyd’s friends are and now he definitely understands. The box was filled with Pooh, of course, and several other wonderful get well gifts from Crystal and I was just overwhelmed at her generosity. I will continue this care package and Pooh tradition as soon as I am made aware of another recipient who needs some special care.

History of  my Illnesses

First Surgery – December 1992 – Craniotomy to remove giant meningiomia tumor from the right frontal lobe of my brain. The operation lasted about 8 hours and produced a lot of trauma to my brain. This one took 10 months for recovery. Without my family, friends, and much prayer I am not sure I would have had the strength and courage required getting through the first one. I have some very ugly pictures I would rather not put on the Internet because my head was very swollen, bruised, and there was a very ugly scar. The trauma associated with this surgery brought a lot of frightening experiences into my life. The days and nights that followed the surgery were probably the most difficult times I have ever been through. I cannot share this story without giving praise and honor to my Heavenly Father who was with me moment by moment, every step of the way back to a complete recovery.

I came home earlier than normal from the hospital because my surgery was on December 17 and my doctor thought it would be better for me to spend Christmas at home. I was on very strong steroids to keep my brain from swelling and they did terrible things to me – sort of a split personality. I can remember him telling the family to keep very close watch on me or I might run away or something. I did not try to run away, but I was definitely not myself for a very long time. I began having seizures after being home a couple of weeks and had a second stay in the hospital. I was afraid to enter a dark room; afraid to drive. I had never experienced so many fears. This was so new to me as I have always been very self-confident, almost cocky when it came to my technical skills as an Engineering Technician at Mobil Oil Company where I had worked for 15 years. I had a shrill ringing in my ears for about a month and a roaring sound like a train running and clacking on never ending tracks. My ears were extremely sensitive to sounds and my eyes to bright lights. I can’t remember when my head quit hurting, it seemed like forever. I was on medication for depression and sleeping pills for about the first year which was also a first for me. The first two weeks were the very worst. I could not focus my eyes very well, and even if I could have, I could not wear my reading glasses because my scar came right down to the front of my ear and I could not stand for anything to touch or put pressure on it.

This was the time I experienced a new level of God’s wonderful love and grace as never before. Many years ago when I first became a Christian I had committed many, many scripture passages from the Bible to memory. All night long these verses would just wander through my mind bringing peace and comfort to a very sick, confused, and hurting mind. God was there when others were sleeping and tired from taking care of me. I was never alone, even when I felt so alone. He always reminded me of his presence through a verse of scripture or a hymn with special words that I could hear being sung in my head.

I began making real progress after about three months. Began driving, had some hair again, and began making my way back toward normalcy. With patient, loving care and support from my husband, daughter and sons and their husband and wives, church friends and Mobil friends, I was able to return to work the following October.

Second Surgery – July 17, 1998 – Craniotomy for osteomyelitis which had developed in my skull bone from an artificial covering that had been put inside to replace the outer brain covering that had been destroyed by the tumor. The artificial covering called a duraplasty had been rejected by my body and caused a bacterial infection in the skull bone (osteomyelitis). This time, the duraplasty was removed as well as a 3-inch diameter section of my skull, leaving me with a large sunken in spot in my temple area (like a baby’s soft spot). Surgery was successful and after six weeks of IV treatments at home with antibiotics all the infection is gone.

One more surgery will be required (minor) hopefully not before January of 1999 to put an artificial covering over the unprotected area. I see my surgeon mid-November to talk about scheduling. I am going to propose to him to let me enjoy my holidays before cutting on me again, and I think he will. Thanksgiving and Christmas are very special times for me. As each Christmas approaches, I not only celebrate Christ’s birthday, but each Christmas since that Christmas of 1992 I celebrate life and the joy of still being here to celebrate these special holidays. Life is precious and we should cherish each moment.

I returned to work with no restrictions on September 2 and am doing very well. I have very short hair and the scar is still showing. I really don’t mind because as I am out and about people ask me what happened and I have many opportunities to share about God’s love and goodness to me. I can never thank him enough for all he has done. Unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, be glory and praise forever.

About Priscilla – 57 years old. Married to Ken, age 60, for 39 wonderful years; will be 40 on February 14. We have three married children, Angela and Kelvin (twins – 38) and Kerry – 35. Angie’s husband is Donnie, Kelvin’s wife is Jill and Kerry’s wife is Lin. We have five wonderful grand children, Ashley, age 15; Amber, age 13; Keaton, age 11; Klay, age 8; and our youngest, Regan Nicole, who is 16 months. I volunteered for early retirement at 55 from Mobil and received an attractive severance package, which kept me on the payroll for another year while I stayed at home and enjoyed my family. I have been working again for a little over a year now at Equinox Oil Company and am enjoying being back at work with a little less stressful job, which is closer to home.

Home is in Montgomery, Texas where we have lived for the past 22 years. We live on 26 acres in the middle of the Sam Houston National Forest about 11 miles west of I-45N. We have a small lake with bass and catfish and a swimming pool, lots of woods for adventure walks and hunting. We love sharing all that God has blessed us with and our weekends are usually full of activities with family and church groups and friends

I have been a Boyd’s resin and plush collector for about the past 3-1/2 years. My favorite piece is my first piece, Clarence Angel Bear, given to me for Christmas by Lin, Kerry’s wife. Other special pieces given to me by Ken include my nativity, my first water globe, Angelica Guardian Angel, which plays "I will always love you" and Betsy Sail Away, my first and only porcelain doll. Bears and hares are just about everywhere in our house. We have a bear corner in the den, which began with a few sitting on an antique school desk and now fills the entire corner. We have two curio cabinets full of resins and my collection of Bailey, Matthew, Emily, Edmund and now Indy. The entire family loves and enjoys them and I can never bring myself to put any away – I even have a Christmas corner in my living room. The most recent piece I bought just yesterday at Michele’s is a Christmas ornament, George and Gracie Forever that says "Two Hearts – One Soul". This one could have been named Ken and Cilla. I think it will become another special favorite.
Priscilla's E-mail - twowens@earthlink.net